Storage battery terminal clamp



Nov. 7, 1933. A. GIACOPINI 1,934,262

STORAGE BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Filed April 3. 1931 INVENTOR BY H15 ATTORNEY August GiaCopini.

Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to storage battery terminal clamps, and more particularly to a nonsplit terminal clamp having a continuous bearing surface for engaging the entire periphery of the battery post.

One object of this invention is to provide a battery terminal clamp of the above nature having means for positively locking it upon the post without injury either to said clamp or said post.

A further object is to provide a terminal clamp of the above nature employing a horizontal recessed locking screw having nuts on both ends for tightening said clamp upon said post.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, which will be dificult to corrode, and which will be very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of the terminal clamp as it appears when installed upon a storage battery terminal post and connected to a conductor cable.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the battery terminal clamp.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the terminal clamp and the battery post.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the terminal clamp as it appears when removed from the battery post, taken along the line 55 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the locking screw.

One disadvantage of the former split types of battery terminal clamps is that the clamp comes into contact with the battery post over only a relatively small area of the surface thereof, resulting in a poor connection, having a high resistance to the passage of the electric current and thereby causing overheating.

By means of the present invention the above and other disadvantages have been avoided and a terminal clamp has been provided whichhas a perfect bearing surface on the battery post.

Referring now to the drawing in which like ref erence numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates the body of the terminal clamp which is provided with fiat upper and lower faces 11 and 12 and a horizontal semi-cylindrical end surface 13. The body 10 has a tapered aperture 14 extending vertically therethrough at one end, the upper part of said aperture being smaller than the bottom part thereof for permitting the clamp to be readily pushed down upon a tapered frustoconical terminal post 15 ofa storage battery 16,

as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

In order to attach the terminal clamp to a conductor cable 17 having an insulating covering 18, the body member 10 has a reduced laterally extending neck 19, to which is integrally connected a horizontal split cable-embracing sleeve 20, preferably cylindrical, and adapted to be soldered or otherwise permanently secured to the cable 17.

For the purpose of tightly locking the battery terminal clamp upon the battery post 15, the horizontal cylindrical end of said body 10 is provided with a horizontal unthreaded cylindrical hole 21, which intersects the vertical tapered post receiving opening 14 at substantially the center of the clamp, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. A screw 22 threaded uniformly throughout its length is located within said hole 21 and has its extremities 23 and 24 extending beyond the ends thereof. The screw 22 has a conical vertical side recess 25 on its inner side, said recess having the same taper as the battery post 15. The ends 23 and 24 of the screw 22 are provided with a pair of hexagonal nuts 26 and 2'7, respectively, and either of said nuts may be readily rotated by a suitable wrench to change the lateral position of the screw 22 for locking the clamp tightly upon the battery terminal post 15.

, Operation Whenever it is desired to install the terminal clamp upon the battery post 15, the body 10 of said clamp will be held above said post 15 with the vertical opening 14 and the side recess 25 in vertical alinement with said post 15. The clamp body 10 will then be forced down over the post as far as it will go. The operator will then tighten up either one of the side nuts 26 or 2'7, thereby causing the curved recess 25 of said screw 22 to bite into said post for securely looking the clamp thereupon.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and'embodied in various other forms without departno ed throughout its length located in said horizontal aperture, said screw rod having a recess on its inner side adapted to lie in continuous surface contact with said battery post, said recess having sharp edges, and nuts on said rod outside said body member to permit said rod to be shifted longitudinally in either direction by manipulation of said nuts to cause said sharp edges to bite into said battery post.

AUGUST GIACOPIN I. 

